Mike Krol & Swearin’ with Average Times at Dominion Tavern
On Saturday night Mike Krol and Swearin’ rolled through Ottawa on their double headline tour with some solid local talent, Ottawa punk rockers Average Times, opening the night and warming up the crowd.
If you haven’t already, make sure you check out Average Times’ most recent LP Seconds.
Dressed all in white, Mike Krol took the stage, but didn’t spend much time on it. He immediately joined the crowd, danced through the venue and over to the bar as he belted out the self-titled single from his new album Power Chords. He made sure to put on a show for everyone in the sold-out Dominion Tavern. After his opening song and back on stage, he took the time to chat with the crowd and make sure that everyone was cool with the strobe lights.
As he played his way through his set, shaking his tambourine to classic fan favorites like “Fifteen Minutes” and “Like a Star” from his debut LP I Hate Jazz. You could tell the crowd remembered his earlier work from his past visits to Ottawa, because the energy in the room went through the roof as the audience chanted along for the rest of the set.
Krol has an undeniable stage presence, his interactions with the crowd were charming and sincere. His energy was captivating, and his set was one to remember. Krol gave a grateful shout out to Ottawa, as he reminisced between songs about his early career as a musician and explained that the city was one of the first to pay him any attention with an invitation to perform at Ottawa Explosion Weekend back in 2013.
Check out Krol’s newest album Power Chords which dropped January this year.
Swearin’ closed the night on a high note. Allison Crutchfield, who had already rocked the bass for Mike Krol, took out her guitar and joined fellow vocal/guitarist Kyle Gilbride, drummer Jeff Bolt, and bassist Amanda Bartley on stage. They played a solid set with crisp harmonies as vocals rotated seamlessly between Crutchfield and Gilbride.
The crowd’s energy continued to buzz as everyone bobbed their heads and sang along in front of the stage. They jammed out to recent hits like “Grow into a Ghost” from the band’s first LP in five years, Fall into the Sun, which was released in October 2018 and even threw in some old classics, like “Kenosha” from their 2012 self-titled debut album.
I’ve been a fan of Swearin’ for a long time, and have witnessed their musical growth over the years. Although this was the first time I had the pleasure of seeing them live, they’ve lived up to every ounce of hype I had built up in my mind, and I can happily say I could not be more impressed. I’ll be waiting eagerly for Swearin’s return to Ottawa, and hope to see you all there when they do.
Listen to the first LP from Swearin’ in over five years, Fall into the Sun, here.